Curtin Maritime Corp. finishes San Juan Harbor dredging project
The $54.2M project deepened and expanded canals to accommodate larger vessels.
California-based marine solutions company Curtin Maritime Corp. has completed the San Juan Harbor dredging and deepening project, removing nearly 3 million cubic yards (76 million cubic feet) of silt and sand from the San Juan Bay.
The $54.2 million firm-fixed-price contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Department of Defense and involved major improvements to the harbor, as previously reported by News is my Business.
“This massive project included deepening of the Anegado and Army Terminal canals, widening of the Army Terminal canal, and the expansion of the San Antonio canal,” according to a report by DredgeToday.com
“Thanks to dredging, the San Juan Harbor is now capable of handling larger vessels, thus supporting the growing global and local economy,” the trade publication added.
Curtin Maritime used the DB Avalon dredge vessel for the project, which now allows the harbor to accommodate bigger ships, including tankers that will serve a new liquid natural gas terminal on Puerto Rico’s north coast, as reported by the Associated Press.
Dredged materials were deposited into the Atlantic Ocean, 2 nautical miles (4 kilometers) north of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency told the AP at the time.
The contract was awarded June 11, 2023, when USACE officials confirmed it included construction and maintenance dredging in specific areas of the federal navigation channel and Puerto Rico Ports Authority docking zones.